:root {–wt-primary-color: #2D2DC8;–wt-text-on-primary-color: #FFFFFF;–wt-secondary-color: #F9FAFB;–wt-text-on-secondary-color: #030712;–wt-tertiary-color: #FFFFFF;–wt-text-on-tertiary-color: #222222;–wt-background-color: #FFFFFF;–wt-text-on-background-color: #222222;–wt-subscribe-background-color: #FFFFFF;–wt-text-on-subscribe-background-color: #222222;–wt-header-font: “Roboto”, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,”Helvetica Neue”, Arial, “Noto Sans”, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”, “Noto Color Emoji”;–wt-body-font: “Roboto”, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto, “Helvetica Neue”, Arial, “Noto Sans”, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”, “Noto Color Emoji”;–wt-button-font: “Roboto”, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto, “Helvetica Neue”, Arial, “Noto Sans”, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”, “Noto Color Emoji”;–wt-border-radius: 8px}.bg-wt-primary { background-color: var(–wt-primary-color); }.text-wt-primary { color: var(–wt-primary-color); }.border-wt-primary { border-color: var(–wt-primary-color); }.bg-wt-text-on-primary { background-color: var(–wt-text-on-primary-color); }.text-wt-text-on-primary { color: var(–wt-text-on-primary-color); }.border-wt-text-on-primary { border-color: var(–wt-text-on-primary-color); }.bg-wt-secondary { background-color: var(–wt-secondary-color); }.text-wt-secondary { color: var(–wt-secondary-color); }.border-wt-secondary { border-color: var(–wt-secondary-color); }.bg-wt-text-on-secondary { background-color: var(–wt-text-on-secondary-color); }.text-wt-text-on-secondary { color: var(–wt-text-on-secondary-color); }.border-wt-text-on-secondary { border-color: var(–wt-text-on-secondary-color); }.bg-wt-tertiary { background-color: var(–wt-tertiary-color); }.text-wt-tertiary { color: var(–wt-tertiary-color); }.border-wt-tertiary { border-color: var(–wt-tertiary-color); }.bg-wt-text-on-tertiary { background-color: var(–wt-text-on-tertiary-color); }.text-wt-text-on-tertiary { color: var(–wt-text-on-tertiary-color); }.border-wt-text-on-tertiary { border-color: var(–wt-text-on-tertiary-color); }.bg-wt-background { background-color: var(–wt-background-color); }.text-wt-background { color: var(–wt-background-color); }.border-wt-background { border-color: var(–wt-background-color); }.bg-wt-text-on-background { background-color: var(–wt-text-on-background-color); }.text-wt-text-on-background { color: var(–wt-text-on-background-color); }.border-wt-text-on-background { border-color: var(–wt-text-on-background-color); }.bg-wt-subscribe-background { background-color: var(–wt-subscribe-background-color); }.text-wt-subscribe-background { color: var(–wt-subscribe-background-color); }.border-wt-subscribe-background { border-color: var(–wt-subscribe-background-color); }.bg-wt-text-on-subscribe-background { background-color: var(–wt-text-on-subscribe-background-color); }.text-wt-text-on-subscribe-background { color: var(–wt-text-on-subscribe-background-color); }.border-wt-text-on-subscribe-background { border-color: var(–wt-text-on-subscribe-background-color); }.rounded-wt { border-radius: var(–wt-border-radius); }.wt-header-font { font-family: var(–wt-header-font); }.wt-body-font { font-family: var(–wt-body-font); }.wt-button-font { font-family: var(–wt-button-font); }input:focus { –tw-ring-color: transparent !important; }li a { word-break: break-word; }@media only screen and (max-width:667px) {.mob-stack {display: block !important;width: 100% !important;}.mob-w-full {width: 100% !important;}}@font-face {font-family: ‘Roboto’;font-style: normal;font-weight: 700;font-display: swap;src: url(‘https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/roboto/v29/KFOlCnqEu92Fr1MmWUlfBBc4AMP6lQ.woff2’) format(‘woff2’);}@font-face {font-family: ‘Roboto’;font-style: italic;font-weight: 700;font-display: swap;src: url(‘https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/roboto/v29/KFOjCnqEu92Fr1Mu51TzBic6CsTYl4BO.woff2’) format(‘woff2’);}@font-face {font-family: ‘Roboto’;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;font-display: swap;src: url(‘https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/roboto/v29/KFOmCnqEu92Fr1Mu4mxKKTU1Kg.woff2’) format(‘woff2’);}@font-face {font-family: ‘Roboto’;font-style: italic;font-weight: 400;font-display: swap;src: url(‘https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/roboto/v29/KFOkCnqEu92Fr1Mu51xIIzIXKMny.woff2’) format(‘woff2’);}@font-face {font-family: ‘Poppins’;font-style: normal;font-weight: 700;font-display: swap;src: url(‘https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/poppins/v22/pxiByp8kv8JHgFVrLCz7Z1xlFd2JQEk.woff2’) format(‘woff2’);}@font-face {font-family: ‘Poppins’;font-style: italic;font-weight: 700;font-display: swap;src: url(‘https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/poppins/v22/pxiDyp8kv8JHgFVrJJLmy15VF9eOYktMqg.woff2’) format(‘woff2′);}.table-base, .table-c, .table-h { border: 1px solid #C0C0C0; }.table-c { padding:5px; background-color:#FFFFFF; }.table-c p { color: #2D2D2D; font-family:’Helvetica’,Arial,sans-serif !important; overflow-wrap: break-word; }.table-h { padding:5px; background-color:#F1F1F1; }.table-h p { color: #2A2A2A; font-family:’Trebuchet MS’,’Lucida Grande’,Tahoma,sans-serif !important; overflow-wrap: break-word; }
Todayโs newsletter supported by: |
 |
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Hi there Intriguer.ย Ever left a party without the host noticing? Thatโs known as โleaving French-styleโ in half of Europe, while the other half calls it โleaving English-styleโ. But it seems both halves can at least agree on one thing: sometimes you just gotta go.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Todayโs briefing is a 5 min read:
-
๐ช๐บ The State of the (European) Union.
-
๐ China proposes integration with Taiwan.
-
โ Plus: An action-packed flag, how the worldโs papers are covering an impeachment inquiry into US President Biden, and why Turks are googling โReeder techโ.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
ยฟHablas espaรฑol? ยกCheck out our weekly edition in Spanish!
โฑ๏ธ Around the world in sixty seconds
-
๐ฏ๐ตย Japan: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shuffled his cabinet yesterday (Wednesday) for the second time since taking office in 2021. The changes include new foreign and defence ministers, reportedly with an eye on firming up Kishidaโs factional support.
-
๐ซ๐ทย France: A French regulator has ordered Apple to take its iPhone 12 off the market and recall those already sold, citing high radiation levels. Apple says the phone complies with existing rules.
-
๐น๐ปย Tuvalu: โโSeveral island nation prime ministers are giving evidence before a Germany-based international court, in a case to determine if carbon emissions breach the law of the sea. Tuvaluโs leader Kausea Natano says sea-level rises could make his country uninhabitable.
-
๐ท๐ผ Rwanda: Kigali has signed a deal with a German-Canadian start-up to build a small civilian nuclear reactor. Rwanda signed an agreement with Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom in 2019 to set up a nuclear power plant by 2024.
-
๐ฌ๐นย Guatemala: President-elect Bernardo Arรฉvalo announced Tuesday (12 September) he was temporarily suspending the transition process following a raid on several electoral offices. He also called on the countryโs attorney-general to resign.
๐ช๐บ EU | Politics
Von der Leyen lays out her legacy and vision
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
You know summer is officially over when European officials are back at it: for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it was time for her annual State of the European Union address yesterday (Wednesday).
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Didnโt catch the (hour-long) speech? Here are some key points:
-
๐ China – von der Leyen specifically took aim at China-made electric vehicles, whose โprice is kept artificially lowโ; she announced an anti-subsidy inquiry, to avoid the EUโs carmakers meeting the same fate as the blocโs beleaguered solar sector.
-
๐ค Enlargement – the president said the EU must โcomplete our unionโ and bring in new states, but she didnโt give a timeline. The current EU โcandidatesโ are Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Moldova, Ukraine, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
-
๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine – von der Leyen again promised to back Ukraine “for as long as it takes“, with the EU ramping up ammunition production and proposing โฌ50B towards longer-term investment and reform.
-
๐๏ธ Trade – the president also said the EU should aim to wrap up its long-running trade negotiations with Australia, Mexico and Mercosur by the end of the year. As things currently stand, that doesnโt seem likely.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Sometimes speeches are also intriguing for what they donโt say: in this case, von der Leyen didnโt share whether sheโll run for a second term next year.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Intrigue’s take: This speech captured so many of the EUโs dilemmas:
-
how to leverage AI without losing control
-
how to uphold standards without strangling productivity
-
how to expand the EU without undermining its integration, and
-
how to decarbonise the economy without an overreliance on China.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Mostly, the EU isnโt alone here. But its ability (or not) to find and nail each sweet spot really will shape its future (plus von der Leyenโs legacy).
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Also worth noting:
-
The European Parliament gave von der Leyen a standing ovation after her address, which used English, French and her native German.
๐ฐ How newspapers coveredโฆ
An impeachment inquiry into US President Joe Biden
Lagos, Nigeria |
โUS Speaker McCarthy calls for formal impeachment inquiry into Bidenโ |
Mexico City, Mexico p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
|
โIt’s โpolitical extremismโ to open investigation against Biden, White House saysโ |
Jerusalem |
โMcCarthy directs opening of Biden impeachment inquiry over sonโs business activitiesโ |
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Todayโs newsletter is supported by: The Daily Upside
Itโs time to rethink your media diet
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
If you love getting International Intrigue (which we’ll assume you do), you must value getting crisp insights and actionable intel without all the BS. The Daily Upside, founded by a team of bankers and journalists, is another great newsletter for globally-minded readers.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Built with business professionals in mind, The Daily Upside is packed with heavy-hitting analysis and stories you simply wonโt find elsewhere. Itโs the perfect addition to your media diet, striking that elusive balance of gravitas and wit.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Thereโs a reason 1 million readers start their days with The Daily Upside.
๐ China-Taiwan | Geopolitics
China plays good cop
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
China unveiled on Tuesday (12 September) a new plan to deepen ties between its coastal province of Fujian and nearby Taiwan.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
The 21-piece plan is designed to โpromote the process of [Taiwanโs] peaceful reunification with the motherland,โ and includes provisions for:
-
๐ Taiwanese students and workers to live, work, and receive social benefits in Fujian without applying for temporary residence
-
๐ Social and cultural exchanges between citizens, and
-
๐ง Joint infrastructure projects between the Chinese city of Xiamen and Taiwanโs Kinmen islands (just ~10km away).
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Meanwhile, Taiwanese authorities have reported dozens of Chinaโs warships and fighter jets circling Taiwan this week.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Intrigueโs take: If this all seems like mixed messaging, thatโs precisely the point. Itโs designed to show the Taiwanese people which options they have: integration by peace, or integration by force.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
But Taiwanese citizens are increasingly saying they have a third option in mind: 49% say they want independence (with just 12% seeking unification).
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Also worth noting:
โ Extra Intrigue
Hereโs what people around the world were googling yesterday, 13 September:
-
๐ซ๐ฎ Finnish tech-heads searched for the latest on the new โApple Watchโ launched earlier this week.
-
๐ป๐ณ Folks in Vietnam looked up โChรกy chung cฦฐ mini Khฦฐฦกng Hแบกโ, an apartment building fire which has left at least 56 people dead.
-
๐น๐ท Turks buffed up on the โReeder Teknoloji halka arzโ (Reeder Tech IPO) after Turkeyโs top smartphone manufacturer announced it was going public.
๐ณ๏ธ Poll time!
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Do you think the EU should add more members? |
๐ Flag of the day
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
The Northern Mariana Islands really managed to pack a tonne into that flag. On a light blue background representing the Pacific Ocean, youโll find a wreath of local flowers around a white star, to symbolise its status as a US commonwealth. The latte stone pillar represents the local Chamorro people.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Extra fun fact: The Northern Mariana Islands actually used the UN flag between 1947 and 1965, when the territoryโs status was still uncertain.
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Intrigue rating: 9.1/10
Yesterdayโs poll: Which Big Tech firm do you think is the world’s most influential today?
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉย ๐บ๐ธ Google/Alphabet (50%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐จ๐ณ Huawei (2%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
๐จโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐บ๐ธ Apple (15%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐น๐ผ TSMC (6%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐ฐ๐ท Samsung (1%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐บ๐ธ Microsoft (6%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐บ๐ธ Nvidia (4%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
๐จโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐บ๐ธ Amazon (13%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ ๐จ๐ณ Tencent (2%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ โ๏ธ Other (write in!) (1%)
p span[style*=”font-size”] { line-height: 1.6; }
Your two cents:
-
๐บ๐ธย N.K: โYou go through Google to get to all the rest of these…โ
-
๐น๐ผย D : โIf TSMC were to stop production suddenly, the resulting chip shortage would grind much of the worldโs economy to a halt, and thereโs really no one currently able to challenge or replace them.โ
-
๐จ๐ณย S.M: โTencent’s share of the global entertainment industry cannot be underestimated.โ